Any advice in buying a 16v

[Kimbal]

Went to look at a 1990 16v going for £4750.

Couldn't see any rust and the cars paint looked great all over. A few small dings on the alloys.
It is a german import with 108kms, but ther service history only goes back to 1998 when it was imported into the UK so i'm not sure if the miles are genuine. The clutch seemed to operate at the end of its travel and the drivers side seat alcantara trim was quite worn from getting in and out of the car - is this normal for a car with this milage?
Also, the panel gap between the front LHS door and wing was around 2mm, compared with about 5mm on all other panels. Is this an indication that the car may have been in a collision in the past or i it the general build quialtiy of Lancias?

The last two owners have sold it on within a year of buying it. I'm concerned that there may be something else up with it which is only noticed after a few months driving, especially as it is cheap for a 16V

I am a novice with lancias. Does anyone have any advice about the age/price/condition/buying german imports etc.

Thanks,

Kimbal

[Alan Cooper]

are you sure it is a 16 valve if it originates from germany it is likely to be a 8 valve G-KAT with catalyst in other words it has an eight valve engine in a 16v shell this will be pretty obvious if you look under the bonnet (a 16v car will have a large flat top surface to the cam covers and say on it lancia 16valve turbo) this is not such a bad thing as the 8 valve engine is very nice and more durable than a 16 valve also just as quick except when you really try. This does however reduce the value somewhat. Clutches can suffer badly from wear and also the hydraulic cylinders can go and they are a pain to replace. Check for rust or poor repairs around the top of the roof at the rear and also around the rear wheel arch areas remember to open the door and look very carefully also the front screen pillars at the top where the roof joins and really anywhere else you can think of .Look carefully at the way the car stands and look for any tell tale signs of bad accident damage is the windscreen a straight fit in the shell for instance? look at the floorpan underneath and if possible lift carpets in the boot to view possible accident or rust damage not forgetting to check the corners of the boot and any structural areas around the suspension. Also check how evenly worn the tyres are. Despite what people may say integrales are essentially strong and robust cars but will not suffer poor servicing for long I would not read too much into the short term of ownership as they are not the most practical of beasts you need to take each car you see purely on its merits but I would add that a ten year old Lancia is not going to be plain sailing could be a lot of grief so inspect carefully and don't buy the first you see take nothing at face value and when you have bought one ask round a few owners to find the best place to get it serviced

[Kimbal]

Thanks for all the useful information. I will bear in mind what you mentioned next time!